Mirror Reflection  The Walker Reunion
by RosaOOX
Summary: This is a new spin after the Alma Karma Arc. Allen and friends are in Paris, spending the last three weeks the Noahs have given Walker before he is forced to join them. Along the way to a pie bakery, Allen bumps into Alicia, a girl who looks like him!
1. Chapter 1

Alicia woke up to the sound of an explosion.

"Miss! Miss!"

Young Alicia pushed off her bed covers, trembling when another explosion came by. Her eyes widened when she saw flashes of red and yellow just outside her bedroom window. She felt her heart race, and she frantically rushed out of her room to escape the booming sounds that seemed to be coming closer. A low rumble vibrated under Alicia's feet all of a sudden, and she soon collapsed on the floor as a crash ringed in her ears.

Her right eye throbbed painfully. She slapped a hand over it, whimpering. It had been happening for a few months now. It thrummed and throbbed more and more these days. Alicia had tried to tell her parents, but whenever she was sent to the doctor, he would say that she and her eye were perfectly fine. But the feeling of her eye stretching in and out by some cruel person proved to Alicia otherwise.

"Miss Alicia! Get up, get up!" a maid shrieked over the booms and crashes. Alicia scrambled up to her feet and was then dragged by the hand by the maid. They rushed out of the mansion, barely escaping with their lives when a ball of fire crashed over the roof. Her breathing hoarse from swallowing the thick smoke, Alicia barely had time to register what was going on before an inhuman howl filled the cold air.

"That voice," Alicia murmured to herself. The flames surrounded her home greedily, licking down every piece of wood and fabric. Again, she heard a pained howl inside the house. She flinched, but knew that it had to be some poor farm animal being engulfed by the flames that was supposed to be part of tomorrow's dinner party.

"Miss Alicia! That voice screaming in there – it's your _mother_!" the maid exclaimed.

"What?" Alicia gasped. She was about to bolt for the house, but the flames were too burning hot for her to get near. Then, the front doors burning, a man and a fiery figure leaped out. The enflamed person shrieked and yelled words nobody could really understand except Alicia:

"Help! Help! Help me!"

"Mama!" Alicia screamed, and she rushed towards her burning mother. Alicia's father ran towards his flailing wife and shoved her down to the ground. He rolled and rolled his wife, with tears in his eyes, on the dirt ground. Alicia leaned forward to help, but then, as if irony wished to come along and see what was going on, rain poured down in light drops, watering out the last of the flames on her mother. Then, it fell down in heavy torrents, and the maid that saved Alicia bent down on her knees and uttered a silent prayer of thanks.

The young fourteen year old looked up at the stormy sky, relieved and confused at the same time. She was so happy the rain came, because it would kill off the fire in the house and her home would be restored and saved. But she was flustered on why her house suddenly went up in flames. How did it happen? Why did it happen?

Her shoulders tensed and her eyes bugged out when she heard a pained moan. Alicia, only fourteen years of age and living an almost completely isolated life since birth, never knew the horrors of reality. Until now. Slowly, she shifted her weight and turned herself around, her body shaking for no apparent reason.

"M-Mama?" Alicia whispered.

Her father sobbed in answer. He was sitting next to the burnt and malformed figure of her mother. Alicia's mother was beautiful – soft blond hair in corkscrew curls, light skin, and bright green eyes with a big smile. Now, all Alicia saw was a monster. She saw muscle in places that were not to show, skin melted off and peeling, and her mother's bright green eyes sparkling in agony. And so much more.

"Alicia," his father sobbed, "get a doctor."

The maid took this as her job, though. She sprinted away from the horrible scene, glad to be gone from it as she searched for a doctor. Alicia simply stood there, clutching the sides of her night gown; her hair knotted and messed up from a restless night, along with her feet, dirty thanks to stomping on the ground. She was so afraid, and, so scared that she was ready to break down and cry.

Her mother was dead. She was dead. She had to be. How could anyone escape from such horrible burns? No one, she told herself. She clenched the fabric of her night gown so much her knuckles turned white.

Then, as if irony wanted to peek its head out again to see how far things had gone, Alicia's mother wheezed in a breath. Her right arm, the only part of her body saved from the fire, twitched. Slowly, it reached up to touch her face. Alicia's mother seemed to suddenly turn to stone.

"My face, Will! My face is ruined!" she screamed. Alicia fell backwards and crawled away, fear overtaking her mind.

"Please don't shout, love. One of the maids is searching for a doctor. You will be all right," he told her through his tears. But his wife kept hollering on;

"We never should have taken her in! We never should have adopted Alicia! They came for her! They came for her and burned down the house! All because of her!" Rage burned in the burned woman's eyes as she cried out to Alicia –

"You should have been killed the moment you were born!"

ONE YEAR LATER . . .

"Move it, Moyashi."

"Eh? My name is Allen!" I yelled back. Kanda simply went "Che!" and strolled ahead of me. I growled at him, and he swiveled around and growled back. Lavi and Lenalee, along with Timothy, tried their best to stay out of our way.

"Guys, please," Lenalee sighed. "Big Brother is being kind enough to let us have a few days off. Can we spend them without you two trying to kill each other?"

"Yeah, I want to flirt with older girls!" Timothy loudly said to us all. Lavi tipped his head back and roared with laughter.

"Jeez, Timothy, you're only a kid. Leave the older women to me," Lavi said.

"Like I'll let a little competition get in my way!" Timothy exclaimed.

"Fine! First one to get the most dates by the end of the week is the winner," Lavi replied, putting out his hand for Timothy to shake. Lenalee slapped his hand away, ending the deal prematurely. Both boys groaned.

"For goodness sakes, can we please get along? Generals Cloud and Tiedoll were so kind enough to lead Alma away from everyone, and the Science Department worked their butts off to save the Third Exorcists. Even more, Allen . . ." Lenalee stopped her rant short. Lavi looked down in shame, Timothy turned his head away from showing tears, and I actually caught in Kanda's eyes a glimmer of self loathing.

I hunched my shoulders. What happened back a few months ago in the North American Branch had become a . . . bad memory for us all. I remembered seeing Kanda lying on the floor; Tokusa falling out of a coffin with his limbs broken; Alma Karma awakening and becoming an akuma; Tokusa and the other Third Exorcists slowly becoming monsters; and then, the Earl approaching me, saying –

"Pie! I totally forgot about that! Lavi, you said you would take us to the pie bakery in Paris one day. Well here we are – show us the way." I marched off with Lavi dumbly following after me. The rest of the gang joined us, a little bit more quiet than usual. I hummed a little tune to fill up the silence, soon having Timothy and Lavi yell out to a group of girls, "Strike!"

"Honestly!" Lenalee groaned, only to giggle afterwards.

"Che!" Kanda replied.

"Pie~ We are in search for pie~," Lavi and I sang, along with Timothy, whose stomach was growling as the chorus. We kept repeating the mantra over and over again, totally lost, until one man angrily pointed out directions for us and told us to get lost.

"Morons," Kanda muttered under his breath.

"But we got the job done, Yu – Waah!" Lavi exclaimed, a lock of his red hair sliced off from him. Mugen glinted once more before being sheathed.

"Don't say my first name!" Kanda threatened.

"Eh, but we're friends!" Lavi protested.

"Yeah, when Hell freezes over," Timothy remarked.

"Come on, the pie bakery is just around the corner," I said, being led by my hunger.

"Shut it, Moyashi!" Kanda snapped.

"I will when you do, Bakanda!" I snapped right back. Lenalee sighed and went ahead, too tired to deal with us boys. All of us snapped our heads towards her leave.

"L-Lenalee, where are you going?" I asked.

"I am going to the pie bakery without you. Come when you finished bickering," Lenalee retorted. Then with a flip of her hair, she huffed herself away. My stomach growled, making me wince. I was so hungry. I needed to eat, or I would die from starvation!

"Lenalee, wait up!" I called out, and sprinted after her.

I was chasing after Lenalee, just turning around the corner, when all of a sudden I saw a flash of white. I craned my neck to the side, thinking that I just saw a white bird swoop down. But birds don't sky dive to the ground for no reason, right? I slowed down my run long enough to catch a glimpse of that flashing white.

A girl had her hair put in a loose low bun with a short brimmed hat to cover it all up, barely revealing her hair. However, a few locks of hair tumbled down from the back from the hastily made bun, bouncing up and down her back. Her hair was white, just like mine. I put myself to a complete stop.

The girl looked so much like me; silver eyes, white hair, and to top it all off, she even was grabbing her stomach just like I was from hunger. She was petite and looked jittery like Miranda, as if she was in a big hurry. Her hands were covered up with silk white gloves, reaching up to her elbows.

Suddenly, my left eye throbbed. I slapped a hand over it, feeling it pulse like a heart. Time around me slowed, and for many long moments I could keep staring at the white haired girl. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Cautiously, I stepped forward, my left eye twitching like crazy.

I was now in front of her. She really did look like me, just more feminine and without my cursed eye and Innocence. I placed a hand on her shoulder, and suddenly, time ripped itself back to normal. The girl crashed into me, and we collapsed to the floor.

"Ow," we both said. Then realizing what position we were in, we got to our feet quickly and bowed our heads. "Sorry!" we both said to each other. We tipped our faces up in astonishment – jeez! We almost sounded like each other!

"Oh, your eye. Is it okay?" she asked.

"I-I," I started, babbling crazy stuff about pies and time stopping all of a sudden. The girl took a step back, very freaked out.

"Um, never mind what I said. Good bye," she said quickly, about to turn around. My arm snatched out and grabbed her shoulder.

"Wait!" I exclaimed. "Please hold on, miss. I think I know you."

She turned around, probably about to scream for help, when she finally took a good look at me. Her jaw dropped as she poked my cursed eye.

"You look-," she started.

"Just like me? I know," I said, chuckling awkwardly afterwards. She stared for a few seconds. Then rolled her eyes back and fell backwards. I knelt to her side, panicking and waving my arms around like a chicken.

"Please wake up, miss! I didn't mean to scare you! Or to make you faint! Eh, what have I done?" I cried out, pulling at my hair.

"Allen, why are you shouting?" Lenalee asked, joining me. She stopped her tracks when she saw the unconscious girl.

"Um, Lenalee, could you ask the pie bakery to give us reservations? I think we need to sort a few things out first," I told her.

SOMEWHERE OFF THE COAST OF GERMANY . . .

Generals Cloud and Tiedoll heaved in deep breaths as they hid behind a dilapidated building. They were so tired from being on the run and fighting at the same time. General Cloud's pet monkey had been sent back to the Order after he received severe injuries, making them one Innocence short. Their uniforms were torn and dirty from near fatal attacks and sliding out of the enemy's fury at the last second.

"We need to retreat," General Cloud whispered to Tiedoll.

"Just . . . a little longer," Tiedoll panted, clutching his side in pain.

"No, we will retreat now. We couldn't stop him at all in America, only slow him down. Look how far he has gotten by just using Yu Kanda's scent for reference. We won't make it another day if we keep pushing ourselves, Tiedoll," Cloud whispered back angrily.

"Then once we retreat he can simply skip his merry way to the kids and Yu. I won't allow that," Tiedoll gasped. He bit his mouth as he slid down from the wall and sat down on a piece of rubble. He let go of the side he had been holding on to, showing his bloody palm. General Cloud bent down and examined the wound.

"You idiot," she hissed. "You are too injured. I'm calling the Order to pick us up-"

"No," Tiedoll hissed back with fervor in his voice. "We must keep fighting. Yu can only go so far in fighting his once close friend, and Allen Walker only has a few more weeks. We can distract him a little longer, Cloud."

"Oh, yes, Tiedoll. Just follow the red brick road," General Cloud remarked, hinting at the other general's injuries.

"One more day, Cloud," he insisted.

"We are leaving," Cloud answered back. She tugged Tiedoll away from the rubble and began helping him leave the battlefield. Tiedoll, although seemingly heavy, was quite light, maybe because he had lost so much blood. Cloud for once felt scared – she and the Order couldn't bear to lose another general, not at a worse time than this. Having Tiedoll come back to the Order alive and defeated was much better than dead and defeated. Tiedoll groaned loudly, his Innocence deactivating.

"Just hold on, we'll make it. Allen Walker will understand. So will Yu Kanda," Cloud whispered reassuringly to her defeated partner.

"Yu? Is he here?" a voice asked beside Cloud. She whipped her head around, seeing the reawakened Alma Karma. Alma tapped one of his feet impatiently, expecting an answer. Cloud simply stared back, too proud and scared to tell him anything.

"Oi! Are you deaf? Is! Yu! Kanda! Here!" Alma yelled out, making Cloud lose a few nerves.

"Why do you want to know, akuma?" Cloud stalled back quietly.

"Because I have to find him!" Alma retorted. "Yu and I need to have a talk, and I have to find him, but you and that man keep slowing me down," Alma growled.

"Sorry to hear about that," Cloud spat. Suddenly Tiedoll's weight was becoming heavy. Alma's good eye narrowed. He grabbed General Cloud's neck as quick as a snake, forcing her to release Tiedoll. He flopped to the ground like a rock.

ENGLAND, NINE O'CLOCK . . .

"Tyki~," Road drawled. "Hey, Tyki, where are you?"

Road Camelot had just come back from an errand the Earl gave her. She was smiling, since her mission was a success, and when her missions went well, she got to have candy! She hummed herself a tune as she skipped down the hallway, calling out for any Noah.

"Tyki! Lulu! Wisely! Jas . . . devi?" Road stopped in front of the double doors that were slightly open. Curiosity got the best of her and she slipped into the room. Nobody was in it except her, giving it a sense of dead silence.

The walls were white. Actually, everything was white, save for the brown piano at the corner. A bed was off to the side, and curtains blew on their hinges softly as the open window let in fresh cool air. Road, curious again, skipped towards the window, and saw people standing at the balcony.

"Earl and Tyki!" Road exclaimed. "There you are. I thought you all left me."

She glomped the Earl, who was in his human form at the moment. He smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek, even though his back made a disturbing sound. Road then stared at him intently, and the Earl sighed and brought out of his pocket a handful of candy. Road squealed and snatched the goods out of his hand and gobbled down.

"Road, one candy at a time. You'll get a stomach ache," Tyki warned.

"Mmm," Road replied with bubble gum in her mouth. Tyki sighed at her.

"Do you like the room that was prepared, Road?" Earl asked with a grin.

"Mmm! It looks great! He's going to love it, Earl! Hee hee!" Road said while unwrapping some taffy.

"I just wonder how he will adjust to his new home, Earl. Remember, this is Walker. He and the rest of us have been on bad terms for a while. I think the boy is going to have a hard time here," Tyki remarked, lighting up a cigarette. He winced all of a sudden – his scars were causing problems again. He ignored the pain, though. He did not want Road to start playing doctor again on him.

"He has a few weeks left. He will live. Now, it's about time to call everyone down and have dinner. Road, hide your candy before Wisely finds out and steals it from you," Earl said with a constant grin.

"All right, Earl," Road said with a sulky frown. She slipped back into the white room and hid her stash inside the piano. Tyki chuckled and stepped out of the balcony and into the white room. A comforting hand landed on one of his shoulders.

"Tyki," Earl said, his eyes lighting up excitedly, "don't forget to pick Allen up after his three weeks are up."

"Yes, Millennium Earl," Tyki replied. "Would it be all right if I visit him in a few days?"

"Of course, Tyki. You are his new guardian. Bring those cards of yours to the young man. I know how much he enjoys playing with you, even if he doesn't want to admit it."

Tyki smiled, bringing out of his front pocket a pack of cards.

"I am one step ahead of you, Earl."


	2. Chapter 2

"Is she waking up?" a blurred voice asked.

"I don't know, but she sure is pretty," another voice commented.

"Hey! Don't say that to her!" another shouted.

"Oi, Allen, calm down. It's not like she's your twin sister or something."

"W-Well, she looks like me, and she and I almost have the same voice."

"So, Allen? They could be your evil twin or something."

"Then that makes Allen a girl!" a young person exclaimed. "Or the other person into a cross dresser."

"Ouch," I moaned, fluttering my eyes to open and wake up.

"She's waking up, everyone."

"Che, we know that, Moyashi," a different voice snapped.

"My name is – Good afternoon, miss," the boy with white hair greeted me, smiling. I shook my head and felt ready to pass out again. He looked so much like me. It was as if he was my long lost twin.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"You are at our hotel," a girl with black hair replied. "You suddenly passed out on the ground. We brought you here to rest your head."

"Oh. Thank you," I said, my face flaming in embarrassment.

"Wow, she talks so politely. She really might be your sister, Allen!" a boy with red hair and an eye patch commented. The boy with white hair, Allen, blushed.

"She's even got your hair," a small boy said, tugging on a lock of my hair. I pulled away and wobbly got to my feet. My right eye twitched again, and I slapped a hand on it again. Although it hurt, for some reason it was not as bad as usual.

"Is something wrong, miss?" Allen asked. I hunched my shoulders and looked down.

"I'm sorry. I have to go," I said in a hurried voice. My stomach growled, and I blushed again.

"You can stay and eat," the red head offered.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I will get in trouble with my family. I'm sorry; I have to go."

"But what happens if you pass out again? We won't be able to help you," the small boy protested.

"I am sorry, but I –"

All of a sudden I felt a sword poke my neck. A tall boy with long hair swept up in a ponytail glared at me.

"Stay," he ordered. I gulped and nodded my head very, very slowly.

"Ignore Kanda," the girl with black hair said to me. "He's just cranky. He will warm up in a little bit. My name is Lenalee by the way."

"Alicia. Alicia Warner," I said, shaking hands with Lenalee.

"And we're Lavi and Timothy!" the red head and small boy responded.

"And I am Allen Walker, Miss Alicia. How do you do?" Allen stretched out his hand. I stretched out mine and shook hands with him. An electric shock went through our bodies.

"Allen! Allen!"

"Go away, Alicia!"

"But Allen-"

"Go back to sleep, sis."

Sis. Although all I heard were voices, I knew it came from this Allen Walker. We let go of our hands, though we kept staring at each other. The rest of the group swiveled their stares from me to Allen and vice versa. Allen Walker's eyes teared up, and so did mine.

"Allie? Is it really you?" Allen whispered.

"Al?" I said, using his childhood nickname. I barely remembered my childhood. For some reason, I woke up as a ten year old in a nice big mansion with a loving mother and father, a carriage carrying away a man and a small boy away. I never found out what happened to my past life. Never. Until now.

I remembered now – I remembered what happened to me as a kid. And I remembered why my home went on fire last year.

"You," I hissed. Allen looked at me, confused.

"Yes, it's me. It's your twin brother, Allie," Allen said.

"Don't call me that! I remembered now what really happened. I saw you, Walker, fighting off some monster with an older man. I saw you! You led that thing into my home and made it destroy it!" I yelled.

"Allen?" Lenalee looked at Allen in confusion.

"No! That's not true! The akuma followed me, I dodged and its missiles landed on-"

"Akuma? Are you nuts?" I snapped. "It doesn't matter. You are still at fault. Do you know what happened to my mother? She was burned from head to toe! Now she is wrapped in bandages and is too ashamed to go out! My father's hands are burned from saving her!"

"Allie, I didn't mean to. I am so sorry," Allen told me. I shook my head and pushed him to the ground. I used that diversion for my escape. I ran out of the room and practically sprinted down the stairs. Allen and his friends called out to me, but I ignored them and kept running.

I kept running once I got out of the hotel.

I kept running once I reached the streets, dodging people and carriages.

I kept running, faster and faster, my heart and right eye thumping like crazy, as I ran away to go home.

"Hey, watch it!" a man said crossly when I bumped into him.

"Sorry, sorry," I mumbled under my breath as I kept pushing and shoving away passer bys. A horse snorted as it almost ran me over when I ran in the middle of the street. My nice shoes stepped on a puddle and the dirty water splashed all over my light blue dress. Great – now Mother would be very mad.

I stumbled onto a bench and made myself sit down for a quick rest. I took in huge gasps of air, my right eye's pain soon fading away. I leaned back on the bench, my white hair now loose and down, all thanks to that running. People strolled down the street without a care in the world, chatting happily to themselves and laughing over some jokes.

Paris was my new home. My family and I had lived in America for a long time, but none of the doctors there could help Mother's "illness". So Papa had us move to Paris, where the air was said to be better for my mother's wounds and where maybe a doctor could finally help her.

We have been living in Paris for three months now, but I still missed my old home. Paris was nice and all, but it wasn't home. It never would be. My old home was much better than our new one, and I wanted to go back now. Well, at least Paris had delicious pies. I had just been searching for a pie bakery, but I became lost, soon bumping into –

"Alicia! Alicia!" a voice yelled out from just a few feet away. I turned and almost passed out at the sight.

"He-He found me? No way!" I told myself.

Allen Walker, my supposed long lost sibling, was screeching at the top of his lungs my name. He kept yelling and yelling, hollering out "Alicia! Allie!" right behind me. I sank down into the bench, my heart practically trying to tear itself out of my chest. People glanced at Walker, either really amused or really scared.

"Who is that boy calling out to?" a woman asked one of her friends as they walked by the scene.

"Oh, I don't know. Oh, look at that white hair!" her friend said. "He's cute, you know. I wonder if he is calling out to his girlfriend." I gagged at that, causing their attention to go to me. Both girls gasped.

"Oh, no," I squeaked, sinking further into my bench.

"Young man!" one of the girls called out. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Yes, ma'am! She has white hair and looks like me," Allen called back. "Have you seen her?"

"Well, she's right here. She is slumped over this bench," the other girl told him.

"Eek!" I squeaked, and I was about to jump out of the bench when Allen Walker did a running start towards the bench, then performed a perfect somersault over it, and landed with one knee bent in front of me. His smile was triumphant, cornering me in just a few minutes without a bead of sweat. Goodness, I still could not believe that he was my twin.

Unexpectedly, my right eye seemed to take over my entire sight, and I was flung back into a cold winter. I saw two children playing in the snow. Their clothes were dirty and seemed to be living off the streets, but they were having the time of their lives. Both had snow white hair.

Oh, no. My memories were coming back.

"Allie-Oop!" Allen cried out, tackling me to the ground. Little me squealed with laughter and tried to get away. We both tumbled around in the ground, tugging on hair and poking at Allen's arm that had mysteriously been turning red. But we were kids, so seeing an arm change color was fun. Then, large footsteps came into hearing.

"Eh?" Allen and I went. A man in a dark suit and a top hat glowered over us. Allen jumped in front of me and spread his arms wide. The stranger simply tossed him aside with a kick, and as I screamed for Allen, the man looked down and reached towards me . . . arms stretching closer and closer . . .

"Get away from me!" I told him, shoving myself away from him. I was thrown back into present time, accidentally shoving Walker to the ground. I dashed off, my muscles cramping from all this running.

"Allie, wait!" Allen shouted to me, waving his hands around. My jaw dropped a little when I saw that he had my short brimmed hat in his left hand. I patted my head as I kept running, and all I felt was my head of hair.

Oh, what was I going to do? I couldn't go back and have Walker give it back to me. He would most likely take me away and try to lie his way through burning down my home. However, if I left without it, my parents would be suspicious. I begged them to let me buy it, because it hid all my white hair perfectly.

How would you feel if people judged you by your hair? It was embarrassing and the worst first impression to everyone. Ugh, how many times have kids called me Granny? How many times have old men started inching towards my side and asking if I could leave the party early? *shiver*

"Alicia!" Allen called out again, and he stepped forward to start another chase. My hat waved back and forth in his hand. I bit my lower lip in frustration. A horde of carriages were coming by, and I zipped through them before Allen could catch me by the shoulder. I stood on the other side of the carriage line, anxiously watching for any sign of the white haired boy.

And then I saw him, moving side to side, trying to find an opening. He caught my eye and waved his hands frantically. He beckoned to me, signaling me to come back. I shook my head and began to run away again.

"I'm sorry, Alicia!" Allen yelled. I stopped and carefully glanced at his shifting figure. He did sound sincere, for a boy who burnt down my house. Lips pursed, I gathered my skirts and met him face to face on different sides.

"I . . . I think I forgive you," I told him. Then, I bolted and rushed off home, my hat now too late to be rescued.

"Oh, Mother is going to kill me," I whined, and I gathered up my skirts again and hurried on back home.

My stomach whined with me too.

ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER . . .

"Everybody, Allen's back!" Lenalee announced.

"Hey, did you bring your sister?" Lavi asked with a cheerful smile. Timothy was on a couch snoring, while Kanda had stalked off to find if there were any soba noodles nearby. Allen slumped on a couch close by and shook his head. He twiddled with Alicia Warner's hat.

"Allen, I am so sorry," Lenalee told him, sitting next to him. "But don't be so down. If you found your sister – whom you absolutely never told me about – then I am sure she can be found again."

"Yeah, you're right," Allen said, starting to cheer up. "But how can I find her? She probably migrated to China by now because of me."

"The Black Order is everywhere. I'm sure we can send out messages about your twin sister and they'll keep watch. How hard can it be to find a girly version of Allen?" Lavi said.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Allen guessed.

"Depends on what you view as a compliment," Lavi teased.

"Maw," Timothy snored in his sleep, turning over.

"It is late, everyone. Tomorrow, let's take the day off to search for Alicia. We'll find her faster if we work together," Lenalee said.

"Sure thing. As soon as I find her, Timothy and I will go 'Strike!'"

"Lavi!" Lenalee exclaimed.

"Oi, Lavi," Allen said in a low voice. Horns suddenly sprouted from his head. Lavi leaped back, knowing what was going to happen. Allen's now cold eyes creaked towards the Bookman apprentice. Shivers suddenly went up and down Lavi's spine.

"A-Allen, I was only joking," Lavi stuttered, backing away. "Besides, how can you become so protective over someone you just met, eh?"

"Because," Allen said, activating Crown Clown with a sneer at Lavi, "I remember everything!"

"Yaah! Yuuuuuu!"

"Achoo!" Kanda sneezed, a few blocks away from the hotel. He sniffed and wiped his nose with a napkin.

"I'm catching something. Must be because I hang out with Moyashi and Baka Usagi too much," he said to himself.

TWO DAYS LATER – ENGLAND

Alma had just returned from lunch. Germany had nice prey, but England's folk had more flavor. He never knew how much fun it was being out in the world until now. He still remembered being back in the lab, being experimented on, and treated like an object.

Alma scowled and shook those memories off. At least he killed off everyone in there. He made sure of that. Well, except-

"Urgh! Where is he?" Alma shouted to the sky.

He plopped down to the roof he was on and crossed his arms. Night had come, and lights were lit in the streets. Nobody was outside, save for a few couples strolling down a block and into a large mansion. Curious, Alma hopped on a few roofs, landing on a light stand just a few feet away from the mansion.

Lights were on full blast at the mansion. Alma guessed it was a party of some sort, whatever a party was. He saw men in fancy coats and top hats, leading beautiful women with dresses of all different colors and silk gloves. Young men and women who were single walked into the mansion with big smiles, bringing Alma to lean closer.

Now, although Alma was a human-akuma hybrid, he was still a teenager. A BOY teenager, to be more specific. So when he saw the young women giggling and chatting to each other, Alma knew instinctively he had to go down there. He hopped down from the light stand and pressed himself into the darkness of the night, carefully watching the men with a watchful eye.

He looked down at himself. He had no human clothes, just his akuma armor. He was about to turn down his idea, when he heard again a giggle coming from the mansion. Doubt was wiped away as he transformed himself back into his human face, along with sleek looking gentlemens clothes. He smirked to himself as he placed a hat on top of his head.

"Yu can wait," he told himself, walking confidently into the mansion. A big bulky man at the entrance glared at him. However, as Alma approached, the man smiled and let him pass. Alma nodded at the akuma in disguise and entered the fray.

"Ho, ho, what do we have here?" The Earl hosting the party commented as he caught one of his newest creations mingling into the crowd.

"Ah, it's Alma!" Road exclaimed, twirling around in her pretty dress. "How did he get all the way over here? He must still be hunting for Kanda."

"You are right, Road. He is hot on his trail." A light bulb suddenly lit up in the Earl's head. "Road, do me a favor."

"Okay, what?" Road asked.

"Bring me Tyki. I think he and the young man need to arrange plans."

SAME NIGHT – PARIS – WARNER MANSION

Ting!

"Miss, you should go to bed now," a maid suggested.

"All right," I said, and the maid bowed her head and exited my room. I quietly played another key on the piano. I never really played the piano, only jammed my fingers on random keys. Papa loved the piano, though, so he had it brought all the way here. He was the only one in the family that played it, even if his fingers still held burn marks.

Ting! Ting!

"Miss," the maid from before warned in the hallway. I sighed and closed the piano, then went to my bed. As I dived under the covers, I wondered how Walker was doing. It had already been two days, and I locked myself up in my home, worried that he would find me. But then again, I did kind of miss him.

I sat up in my bed and slapped my cheeks, thinking myself to be going crazy. Miss him? Miss Walker? Ew!

"I am going insane," I whispered to myself. "Totally, completely insane!"

But as insane as I was becoming, I wanted to meet Walker again. I guess being cooped up in my home made me think things through. Allen was only trying to put back together our family again. He only wanted to see his sister after so many years of separation, right? Nobody would go so far as to chase me down the streets of Paris and holler out my name with my hat in their hands.

I fiddled around with my bed covers. Maybe, maybe I was a bit too harsh on Allen, even if he did burn down my whole entire house! Ahem. Anyway, maybe I could give him a chance and explain why he intentionally did that. He had to have a reason for doing that to my family.

No, I told myself. He would just keep lying to me. He would try to convince me it was not his or the other man's fault. Still, wouldn't it be worth at least trying to approach him and let Allen tell his side of the story?

"Ugh, this is so confusing!" I groaned.

"Miss Alicia!" the maid from outside snapped. I sighed and put my pillow over my head.

Okay. Fine. I would end all this tomorrow. I will find Allen Walker and have him give me nothing but the truth.

But what could I wear tomorrow?

"Ugh! This is so hard!" I groaned again.

"MISS ALICIA!"

"Sorry!" I yelled back. "I'm just having a really hard time on what to wear tomorrow, and what to say to someone, and-"

"GO TO SLEEP!" everyone in the household said together. Face blushing, I ducked under the covers and made myself shut up and go to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, everyone! Wow, it's been, what? Two or so years since I updated? Hmm, life throws so many things at us ... Anyway, here is chapter three! Enjoy! All characters belong to Katsura Hoshino except the OCs. :)

* * *

><p>As soon as morning broke, I set out to find my twin. The others were still fast asleep, resting upstairs in their rooms. I left a short note telling them of my departure and quickly left the building after raiding its breakfast buffet. A bagel in my mouth, I slipped on my Black Order jacket and began my search.<p>

The day was bound to rain soon, so I brought along a hat to cover my head of white hair as I briskly walked from street to street, asking random French citizens if they had seen Alicia. The majority of the people said no, but at least she was well known in the area. Others looked at me and chuckled, saying, "Nice try, Miss Alicia."

"Uh, excuse me, ladies," I called out to a pair of young noblewoman with fanned out hats and colorful umbrellas. They turned to my direction, about to tell me off.

"Miss Alicia! How good to see you!" one of them exclaimed.

"Eh?" was my response.

"What kind of clothes are you wearing?" the other one sniffed. "Please do not tell me that is the new thing in America."

"Uh … Oh, goodness no!" I answered, raising my voice an octave higher. I waved the girl's words off with a wave of my hand and chuckled nervously.

"Then why are you wearing it?" the first one asked me curiously. I stepped back as they came closer to examine my uniform. Ack, I had to think of some excuse!

"Well, uh, you see," I started off stuttering. I coughed and continued, "My poor mother is ill and I had to go fetch the doctor immediately. These were the first things I grabbed."

That seemed to have struck a chord between the two young nobles. They stopped touching my clothes and showed concerned worry.

"You poor girl, having to go through all that," the second one said to me. "I hope your mother's health will improve."

"Yes, and if you ever wish to talk to us and vent your frustrations, please do so. We wish to help you in any way, Miss Alicia," the first one put in. Confused, I simply nodded my head. The two gave me quick hugs before they departed.

"Wait, girls!" I yelled out. "Um, can either of you tell me where my home is?"

The two girls sighed and rolled their eyes at one another, as if they had been asked that hundreds of times before. They came back with small smirks tugging at their lips. I was a dwarf compared to the two noble ladies who had flatteringly high heels underneath their frilly dresses, no doubt. Did my twin ever feel inferiority between these two?

"Miss Alicia, you truly have no sense of direction," one of them giggled. "Your home is down five blocks, near the church undergoing renovations. You know, the one that has the stain glassed windows of the arch angels."

"Oh!" I blurted out, smacking a hand to my forehead for emphasis. "Of course, of course. Silly me, I always seem to forget that. Thank you so much, girls. Where would I be without you two?"

"Probably starving in an alley begging for pies," the one in green remarked. The ladies giggled and bid me goodbye before taking their leave. I pumped my fist in the air at the crucial information I had just received. Now that I knew where my twin was, things would go by much more smoothly.

Paris was looking exceptionally beautiful today; maybe because the weather had been improving the past few days, or simply because I saw it in a new light. I wonder, how long did Alicia live here? How did she get to live in Paris, France, while I had to survive in a dirty circus? Did she have any adopted siblings?

"Five blocks down with the church in repairs," I muttered to myself, now three blocks away from arriving to my destination. I was determined to see Alicia again. Who wouldn't be? Spend the majority of your life believing yourself to be an only child and orphan, then one day find out that you have an identical twin, and then you will see what I mean.

Two blocks away now. French nobles and peasants mingled together in this block. An orphanage to my right was spilling with dirty boys and girls playing tag and fighting over the scarce supply of toys. I then realized that it was the same orphanage where we found Timothy. The orphanage must have been taken over by other people and reopened – I would have to remember to tell Timothy when I came back.

Now I was one block away from reaching Alicia's home. My heart pounded in excitement. I would finally get to see her!

"Move it, kid," a gruff man said, pushing me away. I scowled but said nothing and hurried my footsteps. I barely dodged a horse driven carriage escorting a group of young noble men. They laughed and joked cordially, smoking on fancy pipes that would most likely create holes in their lungs that help them gain prestige in their social circle.

"Alms! Alms!" a chorus of female voices sung out a few feet away. I turned my head and found myself in front of an elegant church covered in wooden ladders and equipment. The front half was fully done and was beautiful, with the Madonna and an army of angels looking down benevolently down at the people below. The rest of the church was missing, at the moment being created by a small group of sturdy workmen.

Positioned at the front steps of the church-to-come was a small group of sisters, wearing black habits and large crosses strung into necklaces around their covered necks. They waved small bells to gain attention while shouting at the same time for donations. An elderly couple hobbled to them and offered them a coin and assurances of prayers for the completion of the church called Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral. The sisters graciously thanked the aged couple and promised them prayers of blessings and thanksgiving in return.

As the elderly couple limped away with smiles on their faces, I edged closer. No one else came up to them to offer donations. The sisters persistently begged for donations to continue the building of Our Lady of the Angels, waving their tiny bells in unison. Still, the rest of the French population ignored them, seemingly looking very busy and in great need of getting to their destinations.

I had some money on me. I was hoping to use it for some pies, but . . . I walked up to the sisters and pulled out my small leather bag.

"Excuse me, sisters. Would you like a donation?" I asked them. One of them, an elderly sister with saggy blue eyes stopped ringing her bell and faced her attention to me.

"If it is for the continuation of the building of Our Lady of the Angels that will lead people back to our Spouse, then yes," the aging sister replied to me with a wrinkled smile. "Large or small, the amount of your donation does not matter. How much would you like to donate, young sir?"

"This much," I answered, handing her my entire bag. The sister gratefully took the leather bag from my hands and bowed her head to me in genuine thanks.

"Thank you, sir. The past few weeks have been hard on us. Please be so kind to say a prayer for us all," the sister told me.

"Of course, sister. Until the next time we meet," I said, dipping my head down in goodbye. I then walked off the marble steps and made way again for Alicia's home. Behind me, the elderly sister untied the string from my leather bag and peeked into it. A loud gasp was heard, and then a shout of joy.

"Sisters! Look at all this money! It's enough to complete almost the entire church!"

"What did you say, Sister Angelica?" one young sister, a postulant, asked. "That is impossible. Your old age is getting to you. Let me see."

"How much is it, Sister?" another asked.

"Oh, my – This is enough to pay off almost all the work!" the postulant exclaimed. "Our prayers have been answered!"

And Master's debts have just skyrocketed, I glumly thought to myself as I squeezed into a thick crowd and pulled my black hood over myself to conceal my face. As the sisters celebrated, I hurriedly looked around for any sign of Alicia's home. If only I knew what it looked like!

"Excuse me, sir," I said to a young working man busily making bread inside of a warm bakery, "do you know where I could find Miss Alicia's home? I have a message to bring to her."

"Eh, Miss Alicia? Oh, the Bacot family lives just across the street. Miss Alicia came in a few minutes ago for five loaves of bread," the young baker absent mindedly told me while simultaneously beating up a defenseless lump of dough.

"Thank you, sir," I said. The baker lifted his head up, mouth opened to say goodbye, when he caught my face underneath the black hoodie. His eyes grew wide in alarm, and I quickly bid farewell and bolted out of the bakery before the baker could ask any questions. I almost crashed into a plump woman from how fast I exited that awkward scene.

"Here it is," I said to myself, my fingers brushing over the metal gates that blocked my chance to reunite with my twin sister. I bit my lip hard, unsure of what to do. I could not break into the home of the Bacot family – they all probably had a great fear of anything happening to them ever since the house fire years ago.

Wait. Alicia gave Warner as her last name. Did she know that I would come follow her? My twin was smart, that was for sure; too bad I just remembered her fake alias while I stood in front of the Bacot house and not before.

The house was in actuality a mansion. It was two stories and dated two centuries back. The mansion held a grand but somber presence between two fancy and grandiose buildings next to it. It was kept guarded by black gates that would be impossible for the average man to climb.

The Bacot mansion's yard, however, was a mini version of Eden. In it was green grass neatly trimmed and beds of flowers of all species and colors and hues and scents. The multitude of flower beds were located only on the right of the Bacot mansion, while on the left was a green statue garden that held ivy knights, lions, griffins, and angels. Spotted in various areas of the green statue garden were small round tables and chairs.

"Wow. Sister surely has a privileged life," I said to myself.

"Excuze moi, monsieur!" a loud French voice erupted from the other side of the foreboding gates. I snapped my head to attention at a young gardener in white wearing a flat hat. He stormed up to me and pressed his face eerily close to my face against the gate bars.

"You! Are you the chef's new apprentice?" the boy gardener demanded.

"Uh . . . wee, wee?" I squeaked out, stuttering what little French I knew.

"Ugh, are you the one the Bacots hired for the banquet in two days?" the gardener asked in a frustrated voice. "I do not let anyone but the employees inside. If you are not a worker, get out of here! Shoo!"

"No, no, wait! Monsieur, I-I am a worker!" I blurted out, clutching tightly to the bars. Here was my chance of getting in! The gardener pulled his face back from the gate and frowned.

"Really? Which position?" the gardener asked, already suspicious.

"Uh, the chef's apprentice," I lied.

"Oh! I see! Please come in," the gardener said. He pulled out a black key from underneath his shirt and inserted it into a lock. The gates came loose, and with a hard pull, the gardener opened the gates. I walked through the opening and bolted across the yard, curving to a turn to go to the back of the mansion.

The gardener boy looked at me with confusion. He shrugged and then closed the gates. As he walked back to his station, he hummed to himself.

"That apprentice must be in trouble with the chef by the way how fast he ran," the gardener boy commented to himself.

* * *

><p>"Miss Alicia," the maid said, "your mother is expecting you."<p>

Even though she announced that to me everyday, my body still froze in fear. I nodded my head in thanks to my servant, letting her leave. When she closed my bedroom door shut behind her, I tried to hold in the choked cry for help to God.

"Give me strength," I murmured. Her right eye suddenly swelled in pain. Alicia winced, still not used to her right eye's random bursts of uncomfortable pain. Ever since the house fire her eye, her family, has never returned to normalcy.

The young girl picked up her skirts and headed out. She did not bother to close the door to her bedroom. A young servant boy bid her good morning before passing by her with a large vase of fresh flowers picked from her family's garden. Alicia too soon reached the door to her mother's sleeping quarters.

Alicia paused for a moment to recollect herself. She barely noticed the shouts of anger that consisted of "Dumb chef's apprentice!" , "Who hired this guy?" and "Don't eat that!"

Finally Alicia pushed open one of the doors that led to her mother's room. Inside, it was dark and chilly. Placed in front of a heavily draped window in a wheelchair with a gray haired man nearby was Marie Bacot, the adoptive mother of Alicia. Alicia's father turned to Alicia and grinned, small wrinkles forming at the edges of his tired eyes.

"Good morning, Alicia. How are you?" the middle aged man asked.

"Very good, Papa," Alicia replied curtly. She tended to get nervous and flustered when near her mother.

"I will leave you two to your own agenda," Papa said. He approached Alicia and told her, "She is not speaking today. She is in too much pain. Could you read to her a story? I believe she wants the one about knights."

"Of course, Papa," Alicia bit out tightly. Once her father left, Alicia approached her mother. She still looked down so she would not have to see the fresh bandages wrapped around the older woman's face. The young daughter picked up a book from her mother's lap and sat down at the seat always next to the window.

"… the knight gallantly pursued the thieves, voicing threats that made the criminals shake in fear," Alicia picked up. Her mother did not say anything, only stared solemnly at her adopted child with pity.

* * *

><p>NOAH HOME – LONDON, ENGLAND<p>

"Tyki left yesterday," Road sulked.

"Don't be so glum, Road. If the occasion arises, I will let you go after Tyki to help him," the Earl jovially said. That cheered Road up. She grinned as Alma Karma groaned quietly and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever is the matter, my good sir?" the Earl asked cheerfully.

At the moment only Road, the Earl, and Alma were sitting outside the fancy mansion that held the nightly banquet a few hours ago that consisted of akuma, human cooperators, and the newly recruited Third Exorcists. Alma had tried to approach one of the half-human half-akuma members, but instead they realized who he was and sent him to the Earl tied up in rope.

"Eh, hello! Are you looking for something to do, Alma?" were the first words the Earl said to the Womb. The two spoke throughout the party while drinking fine wines and dancing with a multitude of high class women. By the end of the night, the Earl and Alma were very good friends.

"When can I leave to find Yu?" Alma asked the Earl. He waved off a maid who was really an akuma in disguise offering him tea and biscuits.

"Why, my good friend, can't you wait for a day or two?" the Earl recommended. He dumped five cubes of sugar into his morning tea before continuing, "I believe it would be best if you relax and enjoy the scenery. Tea?"

"I do not want tea! I want Kanda Yu!" Alma screamed, punching the table they were eating on.

"Hey! Don't mess up the table! We just replaced it!" Road protested.

"Earl, let me go find him," Alma said. "Every single second I do not go searching for him is another second less on his life. I wish to spend every moment with him before his time is up."

"Oh?" the Earl queried, grinning madly. "And why is that, dear Alma-kun? Is there something wrong with Yu?"

Alma bit his lip and refused to answer. The Earl knew exactly what was wrong with Kanda. The lotus tattoo that enabled the Second Exorcist to live was running down on its last petals. Alma did not know how many petals, how many lives, were left for his former lab mate.

Alma needed to find Kanda before the last petal fell. The Womb desperately wished to see him and – what? Spend the last moments with him? Fight him to the death? Alma was not so sure of the end result.

It did not matter. What did matter was that Alma succeeded in finding Kanda.

"All right," Earl conceded.

"Earl?" Road said.

"Thank you, Earl," Alma told him. "Have you any leads to Kanda?"

"In fact, my good friend, I do!" Earl joyously exclaimed. "Your dear Yu is with the Fourteenth and a ragtag group of Exorcists. They are all located in Paris, France. From what I gained from my cooperators in the hotel business, they are currently residing in a hotel located downtown."

"That's all I need," Alma said. "If you will excuse me."

"Can I come?" Road begged.

"Another time Road," the Earl cut in.

"Aw!"

Alma dipped his head in thanks and goodbye, then transformed himself into a safer, more human shape. All his abnormal and demonic markings disappeared under a carefully made glamour, showing to the normal human population a young Chinese man with long side locks dressed in well made London clothing. The Earl cheerfully waved goodbye to his new friend. Road simply pouted and stuck her tongue out in jealousy.

Alma playfully stuck his tongue out before he leaped off the mansion and left. He hopped over the tall gates that guarded the Earl's home and found himself on a cobble stone street full of busy minded people of all ranks and classes.

Alma saw a group of young middle class girls giggling as a nobleman strolled past them smoking on a pipe. A poor orphan smiled as a lady of high class handed him a coin and bread. A baker man yelled and attempted to hit a couple of street rats with a broom for stealing his sweet pastries. A flustered man in raggedy clothes accidentally shoved past Alma, apologizing as he continued to hurry past life.

"Wait for me, Yu. I'm coming," Alma muttered to himself, and with a downward tip of his tall hat, he pushed himself into the heavy and air constricting English crowd.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi, guys! It's been . . . a long time! :) Here's chapter four to all those who patiently waited for the continuation of this story. Please enjoy, and have a merry Christmas!

D. Grayman is not mine, by the way! All OCs are though. :)

* * *

><p>"You are my apprentice?"<p>

"Uh . . . Yes, sir. Uh, I apologize for not coming to you in time. I was delayed in my . . . errands," I stammered out, purposely leaving out that I knocked out the real chef's apprentice and sent him to a nearby hospital. I was now in the Warner mansion's grand kitchen, standing at attention in front of the chef. He scrutinizingly looked me up and down for many minutes, mumbling incoherently in fast French to himself.

"What is wrong with your arm, boy?" the chef demanded.

"Um, it was born like that, monsieur," I blubbered out. I winced when the chef scowled and clearly showed his disgust at the sight of my arm. At least he did not see it when it was all red and swollen looking. Now it was black and sleek, and it was mostly covered up with my specially customized glove the Order had made for me.

The chef again frowned at the sight of my deformity. With hands behind his back, he circled around me. I gulped and clenched my fists in apprehension. Was the chef going to kick me out because of my Innocence? This was my only chance to see my sister! If he threw me out of the kitchen now, I would never see my Alice again.

"Monsieur," I blurted out, "I know that my . . . handicap . . . is not attractive. However, it does not deter me from doing a good job in the kitchen. I can cook food as good as any other apprentice. My hand doesn't infect any of the food, I promise you that too. If you would only-"

"Start peeling the potatoes," the chef cut in gruffly. He reached for a sharp utensil from a nearby counter and tossed it at me. I caught it in midair easily and stared at it afterwards in wonder. I looked up and saw the chef briskly leave me and return to shouting at the other employees in the kitchen.

"Kitchen boy!" a maid shouted. "Put these clothes on. If you break uniform code, the others will have your hide!"

She threw a bundle of clothes to me. My uniform consisted of a white long sleeved shirt, black pants, and an apron that had seen better days. I hurried away to a dark corner to change and dress. By the time I had put my civilian clothes away and entered back into the fold of the kitchen, the chef caught me and bared his teeth.

"Kitchen boy! Get to work!"

"Yes, sir!" I shouted. I zipped towards the two large hills of brown skinned potatoes. The two hills bore down on me menacingly, as if trying to place fear into me. My jaw clenched in response. This would be worth it – as soon as I finished my work in the kitchen, I would search for my Alice.

"Here goes nothing," I said, reaching out and plucking a small potato from one of the hills. A soft rumble came from underneath my feet. Confused, I looked up. The two hills of potatoes shook once before tumbling on top of me.

The other kitchen servants found me underneath the remains of a potato mound. The chef approached the mass of potatoes and froze for a moment. He glared at me, my head poking out of the potatoes.

"Eh he, sorry?"

"I got assigned to dusting," I whimpered miserably. I sighed as I used the girly feather duster on an old vase. Maids of the mansion giggled as they skittered past me. A red blush overtook me, and I dusted even more vigorously.

This was so not how I imagined things to turn out! Urgh, all I wanted to do was find was my twin sister. Is that so hard? I mean, it's been years – years! – since I last saw her.

Memories were coming back to me more and more by the hour. Memories of Alice and me playing tag in the snow. Memories of us running away from mean grownups when we were abandoned by our parents. Memories of just the two of us keeping each other warm from the bitter cold, snuggled together in a small alley.

Maybe the flashbacks weren't moments of happy birthdays or good times, but at least they had Alice in them.

"Why me?" I moaned. I dusted at a petite table, almost knocking over the picture frame. I caught it before it could clatter to the floor. I lifted it up to my chin level, while absent mindedly dusting the rest of the floor I was on.

"Alice?" I mouthed as I stared at the portrait. It was a picture of my twin sister posing for a camera. It was black and white and shaped like an oval. My sister wore a beautiful dress made of expensive fabric and sewn with frills. A frilly parasol leaned against her slim right shoulder, and a small crown like headband was placed on her head. With white gloves on, Alice's hands were perfectly poised over the parasol.

Her face was absolutely one of a noble lady. Lips slightly parted, she gazed out from the picture. Her eyes seemed to stare right into mine with a cool but polite aura. She exuded "perfect lady" in the photograph. I gripped the frame of the photo.

I wanted the photo. I wanted it desperately. It would take me quite a while before I could locate my twin, and even longer for me to have her trust me again. It was just one picture anyway. There were tons of pictures of Alice in this mansion. One less wouldn't kill anyone.

I glanced around to make sure no one was around. Then, I pulled out the photograph of Alice from the frame and carefully folded it in half hamburger style. Mmm, hamburgers! Oh, anyway, I next slipped it in my pocket and placed the empty frame back into its proper place.

By the time anyone realized that the photo was gone, it would be too late for anyone to see who stole it. Besides, they would simply replace it with another one in the end. Although I felt slightly guilty of taking my sister's photograph, I was ten times happier for having it in my pocket.

Like some lovestruck maid, I swept the floor I was on immaculately clean in the next hour. The maids and passing butlers of the Warner household could only gape in shock as I cleaned the entire floor clean. Not a single dust bunny survived from my cleaning mission. All were dusted away into total oblivion.

When I finally cleaned the last spot, I turned around and let out a big "Phew!"

Applause erupted then. Maids, butlers, and other employees clapped their approval at my job. Many of the maids blushed at my awesome cleaning powers. They didn't know that now my arms felt like lead and were sore.

"Wow! You keep that up, and the Warners will have to personally thank you for all your hard work!" exclaimed one maid.

"Excellent workmanship, young man. I have a feeling that someone is going to get a promotion," praised an elderly butler. A middle aged man approached the group of workers then. He clapped his hands together twice, and the entire group dispersed and rushed back to their chores.

"Uh, sorry, sir. I'll get right back to work," I apologized.

"No, no, no, young man!" exclaimed the middle aged man. He smiled and came closer. With an even bigger smile he patted me on the shoulder and said, "I saw you work this entire time, young man. Bravo! I could not take my eyes off you, so hard you worked, and so quickly! I am a righteous man, and I believe all those who work dutifully should be rewarded. Young man, would you like to be promoted?"

"Pr-Promoted! Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" I exclaimed.

"Great! From now on you will be trained as a butler. Go to James, he knows all the ropes."

"Oh, thank you very much, sir. I really appreciate it," I gushed.

"Hmm," went the man, "you have superb manners as well. Rare in young men these days. I should know, since I used to be one! But I see that you are a good lad and would be a positive influence on my child. Young man, would you also become my dear daughter's personal butler?"

"Your daughter?" I repeated.

"Ah, I see. I am the owner of this fine mansion. You may call me Mr. Warner. My daughter, Alice-"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" I yelled. "I will gladly serve your daughter, Mr. Warner!"

"Well then! Start right now!"

* * *

><p>"Enough."<p>

"Yes, Mother," I said, closing the book shut. I moved away from the large window, the only place where light shined through in the solemn and grim room. My mother simply waited for me to leave. A maid entered the room quietly, bowed to me, and then went to redress my mother. I bowed to my mother, who made an annoyed sound and jerkily shake her hand at me to leave.

"I love you, Mother," I told her.

She did not reply.

I promptly left the room and closed the double doors gently. I turned and walked down the second floor of the mansion, so lost in thought that I almost did not hear Papa call out to me. I faced his direction and smiled when he came over and embraced me. Unlike Mother, Papa was not afraid to show his affections.

"My dear Alice," Papa cooed. He patted my head affectionately and squeezed me tight one more time.

"Papa, I read three chapters to Mother today. The maid has gone to redress her wounds. Mother will take her afternoon rest afterwards," I informed my father.

"Ah, I am so thankful to the good Lord for having Him bless me with such a perfect daughter," Papa chuckled. He raised his index finger next and grinned.

"I have a new employee for you, Alice. He is a fine young man."

"Papa, I told you, I do not want any employees for myself. I know Paris like the back of my hand." I added in slyly as well, "And I am not interested in being escorted around and having people see me as some snobby rich girl."

"I know, Alice, I know. But you've heard of all these mysterious murders lately in Paris. Men, women, children dying bloody deaths and all that's left of them is their mangled remains. I can't protect you like before – old age has finally caught me, blast it – so to put your old man's concerns at ease, I would like you to accept this new employee."

I sighed and tried not to roll my eyes. Papa was right about the mysterious deaths happening around in Paris. They began to be noticed by civilians about two months back when a well known newspaper published the strange deaths of a husband, a bartender, and an orphan girl dying similar deaths in the same week. No connections were made with the three, but it caused enough stir in all social circles of France that people were careful of where they were at night.

There were thirteen killings overall. They all consisted of young and old men and women, children from rich families or poor orphanages, or complete strangers. The most interesting one in my opinion was the death of a young man who wore peculiar clothing: long black jacket and black shirt and pants underneath it, emblazoned with a large cross over the heart.

He was the latest case. Police were unable to contact the man's family or close relations, although they did allow a certain organization to take his remains back. I believed they claimed that they were the employers of the deceased man. It was good enough for the Paris police, since they still had other bodies to bury from previous killings.

I did not worry though. I only went out of the mansion for fresh air or to eat pies. I almost never went out at night, which was strange to the ladies of my family's social circle, since the "best parties" were always held at night. After the way life had been to my family and me, I was not sport for partying or courting, thank you very much.

Still, I knew how much the thirteen killings worried my father. I was his only child. He almost lost Mother to the fire years ago. He wasn't going to let me succumb to a similar fate.

"All right, Papa. I'll accept the new employee," I replied.

"Wonderful! He is a young lad around your age, and will be your personal butler during the day. Strange, he looks very much like you, but no matter!" Papa jovially said.

"He looks like me?" I repeated. My mind quickly came to grips on what Papa was saying. No one in all of Paris, or in the entire world for that matter, looked any bit like me. Before Papa even backed himself aside and beckoned my new butler to come forth, I knew who it was.

"You," I gasped.

"Hello, Alice!" the boy named Allen Walker cheerfully exclaimed. He came forward and clasped my hands with his. I pulled back, but Allen's grip was so tight I was beginning to lose circulation.

"Eh, I am Allen Walker! Very pleased to meet you – again! – Lady Alice!"

"My, Lady Luck really has it in for me."

* * *

><p>NEAR THE BORDERS OF PARIS, FRANCE:<p>

"Eh, this is going to be more difficult than I thought," complained Tyki Mikk as he gazed out the vast territory of the city. He had been to Paris many times – just recently someone he knew in the city gave him an invitation to a ball coming up – but now that he had to find that boy Allen, it would be like fishing a needle out of a haystack.

Of course, Tyki mused, he knew that the boy enjoyed his food. Maybe the first place he needed to go to was the restaurants, bakeries, etc. Anyplace that offered food should do. The boy could eat anything.

"Well, the sooner the better. Why couldn't that idiot just agree to come with us?" Tyki sighed.

"Which idiot? Are you taking about Yu?"

"GAAH!"

Surprise, surprise, Alma Karma had arrived to Paris at that same exact time and overheard Tyki's words. In his human form he surprised the Noah and almost had him knocked off of the Eiffel Tower. Only with his superhuman reflexes was Tyki able to save himself from a tremendous fall.

"Oh! What was that for?" Tyki snapped. He put both hands on the railing and pulled himself up. Alma Karma simply rolled his eyes. Kids, Tyki mused, a vein popping out from his forehead.

"Look, were you talking about Yu? Did you find him or not?" Alma demanded. "Answer me, or I'll push you off this metal tower."

"Calm down, kid. I didn't find that one, but I am sure he is in Paris still. He went with Allen Walker, remember?" Tyki replied.

"Walker," Alma growled. "Maybe if he was not around . . ."

"Careful, Alma. The Earl ordered for the boy to be brought back alive, or at least unconscious. He is a Noah, and the Fourteenth at that too. Hurt him, and I believe we will be forced to hurt your precious Yu."

"Tch!" was Alma's angry reply. He looked away from Tyki, refusing to talk anymore.

"Look," Tyki said, an idea forming quickly in his head, "how about this? Let's both look for Yu and Allen. If we work together, we will find one of them sooner, and the other will surely come along just as quickly. Think of it; Kanda will be more easily found if you allow someone else to look for him? Right?"

Alma pondered over the Noah's words. His proposition was quite good. It would be easier if Alma allowed Tyki to help him in his quest for his lab mate. The sooner he found Kanda, the better.

Besides, Alma suddenly realized he wished to meet Allen Walker. Back at the North American Branch Headquarters, that white haired boy had at one point protected him, and even had tried to persuade Kanda to stop his rampage. In a way, it was his fault too that Walker became a Noah.

"Fine," Alma said. "Let's look for them together."

* * *

><p>BACK AT WARNER MANSION:<p>

"She is not human."

"Love, please don't say that," Lord Warner pleaded to his wife.

"She is, though. The fire . . ." Lady Warner bowed her head and shook in fear.

"Those things, who called themselves akuma . . . They were so close to killing me and you, until Alice's weapon came to life," Lady Warner hissed.

"Our daughter saved us, love. You know that," Lord Warner insisted. He too remembered the day when the fires engulfing their old home were ready to swallow the family whole. He could still conjure up the hideous faces of the demons that came to them and declared that they would finish them off. Alice, just a little girl, cried.

And that was when it happened.

"She is not human. Alice is a weapon," Lady Warner cut in.

"She is our daughter!"

"Not by blood," the injured woman reminded him. Lord Warner sighed and raked his thinning hair back. Ever since the fire, his wife had acted like this. He lost his love long, long ago. What sat before him was just a shell of the former woman he married many years ago.

"She is not a weapon, love. She is a gift, just like every other human being on this planet. Her talents simply stand out more," Lord Warner told his wife.

"Talented, our daughter? No." With all the force she could muster, Lady Warner hissed, "Cursed is more like it!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Ooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh my gosh! It's been forever! But now that I have returned to my self exile, I present to you all a new chapter! This one moves much faster than the others, but I hope it will satsify you from your long, long wait. I especially dedicate this chapter to Black Angelon, who waited so patiently for this! I hope it does justice! ;)**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**PS: D. Gray-Man is not mine. All characters but my OCs belong to Katsura Hoshino. **

**:3**

* * *

><p>"I banish you!"<p>

"You can't do that, my Lady. Your father said that I am to stay with you always, no matter what," Allen Walker, my twin brother, cheerfully replied. He lifted up a finger and added, "Besides, after all these years of separation, don't you think it's about time you and I got back together? We've been apart for so long, sister."

"I . . . I don't care," I stuttered.

"You're lying," Allen stated, his face suddenly in front of mine. I squeaked and tried not to look into my twin's eyes. We both knew that he could tell whenever I was lying. Allen chuckled softly and leaned in close. I froze still in my seat, the cup of tea I was having about ready to spill over.

"Alice," Allen whispered in my ear, "I really missed you. Why won't you look at me? I'm your brother, your only brother. We lost all of our family years ago – are you so afraid of the past that you want to get rid of your only blood relative?"

"No," I sighed. I put my cup of tea on my small table and lowered my head. Allen leaned back and waited patiently at my side, clad in his dark butler's suit. The both of us were at a picnic which I was personally invited to by one of my family's close friends. The sun brightened up the small park we were all at, men chivalrously flirting with young noble ladies dressed in the latest Paris fashion.

No boys approached me. It was either because they knew of my family's sad history, or because Allen glared sharp daggers at them until they awkwardly shuffled away. So all I had for company was my long lost twin brother – very, very nerve wrecking, if you catch my drift.

Here was my brother, who I loved back then and still do love to this moment, waiting on me like some humble servant. We had been separated for so long, that the sight of him put me on edge, because he was of my past. My past had been nothing but bad times, so if Allen was from there, he had to be bad too. I was slowly coming to terms though, that Allen was proving me wrong.

He was my twin brother. Even though I remembered him having a deformed arm when we were little – in fact, his arm was now black and covered with a special glove – he was still the same goofy boy I used to play tag with. He still had his snowy white hair and his sweet smile. He was still Allen, my brother.

So why was I trying to avoid him?

"I'm sorry . . . Allen," I said to him. "It's just that so much has happened in my life since you and I were taken away from each other. My mother is now this shell of the woman Papa saved at the cost of his hands, her body burned beyond any help. My old home was burned down-" I then glared at Allen, biting out, "By you."

"Allie," Allen started slowly, "let me explain."

"Get out of my sight," I ordered.

"You know I can't do that," Allen replied gently.

"Then stop talking to me!"

"No!" Allen exclaimed. "I will not be quiet, my Lady!"

I blinked my eyes in surprise. Allen never got angry, not with me. Now here he was, clenching his fists and narrowing his eyes in frustration towards me. I pursed my lips as heads turned towards our direction.

"Alright, fine. Explain away," I snapped, waving my hand for him to speak.

"Thank you," Allen sighed. "When I was with my master, training to be an Exorcist-"

"Exorcist?"

"I'll explain that later, sis. Anyway, while Master was training me, he got wind of a low level akuma wandering around a certain mansion, converting the employees into akuma as well. We had to go and exterminate them all, because your family – you, Alice – were in grave danger. So we went in the middle of the night, surprising the akuma when we attacked them with no warning.

Allen continued, "However, things took a turn for the worse. We realized that the lead akuma had converted more of the employees than we really thought, and so we were cornered at one point. We fought all of them off as best as we could, actually winning against them, until . . ."

"Until? What, have you suddenly lost the inspiration to weave your fairytale?" I snarled.

"Until the lead akuma decided," Allen whispered in a low voice, looking at the suddenly silent group of picnickers that were staring straight at us, "to bring the entire place down. They overturned a candle, and it caught on a curtain. I tried to stomp it out, but then one of the akuma grabbed me and started strangling me. When I came to, Master and I were already far away, witnessing the mansion go down. I never knew you were in it until now, so - My Lady, we're leaving."

"Um, why?" I demanded.

"Because we're going to kill you! Hee!" giggled a little girl behind me.

I turned, only to see not a young girl dressed in a cute pink dress, but some monstrous humanoid with a flesh like gun sticking out of her left eye and sharpened knives as hands. Before I could scream, a flash of light struck my blind for a moment. A hand grabbed me and pulled me out of my seat. When my vision came to and I snapped my eyes back to the human monster, all that was left of her were tattered remains of a pink dress and a twitching eye.

"Move!" Allen yelled, holding onto my wrist for dear life as he led the way and was hacking and slashing all the humanoid beasts that were coming at us left and right. My right eye suddenly throbbed, and with my free hand I slapped it closed, moaning afterwards at the intense pain.

"What's going on? Aah!" I shrieked when the baker I used to go to for fresh bread everyday suddenly came in front of Allen and aimed a cannon that had replaced his entire chest. He showed off a leery smile before he took aim. Only, he never got to shoot, because then Lenalee, the girl I saw back at the hotel, jumped down on him and sliced him in half with her dark clad feet.

"Run, Allen! We came as soon as we heard of the akumas coming down to this part of town. Hah!" Lenalee shouted, kicking an elderly woman in the face who split in half, a strange skeleton revealed before collapsing with the rest of her body. Allen yanked my wrist again and led me away from the fight, leaving Lenalee to fend for herself.

"OY! ALLEN! Over here!"

"Lavi!" Allen exclaimed.

"Meet up with Kanda! Timothy and I will help Lenalee. Go!" Lavi shouted, afterwards swinging down a humongous hammer down on a group of monsters, or should I start calling them akuma now? My brother and I soon met up with that sword wielding maniac Kanda, who had already cleared the way and was at the moment cleaning his bloody sword.

"Moyashi," Kanda growled, "what are you doing with her? I thought she left you for good."

"My name is Allen!" my twin yelled.

"Please, can anyone tell me what is going on?" I begged.

"My Lady," Allen said, offering me a sad smile, "I just told you. It's the akuma. They're coming after us, and I believe you as well."

"Excuse me?" I gasped. I winced when my right eye again throbbed and could not hold back the cry that came with it.

"Ow, it hurts. Why does this keep happening to me?" I moaned. "I'm . . . suddenly feeling . . . weird."

"Stay with me, sis. We'll reach a safe place soon enough. Kanda, stay behind me and make sure no akuma touch Alicia. I think they are acting up like this because she has Innocence," Allen told his long haired ally.

"Innocence? This is too much for me. I can't handle all of this," I cried.

"My apologies, young lady," a voice from above interrupted, "but maybe this did not need to happen if Walker here wasn't so rebellious. Do you feel it, boy? The Noah in you fighting to break out?"

"Tyki!" Allen gritted out.

"Alma," the voice above said, "I have good news for you: Kanda's right here."

"Yu!" another voice, much younger than the first, exclaimed. Kanda's dark eyes suddenly widened in shock as two people landed right in front of us. Allen let go of me and placed himself in front of me. Kanda stayed behind, using his sword like a guard between him and the person who yelled his first name. I kept snapping my head back and forth between the people protecting me and those in front of us, wondering what in the world was going on.

"Allen," I started, tugging on his sleeve.

"Don't worry, sis. I won't let you get hurt. Just trust me," Allen said, confidence brimming off of his petite body. My chin quivered in fear at what was going on, but I slowly nodded once to my twin and held onto his arm for protection. I tried to ignore the pain in my right eye that seemed to be pulsing like a heart.

"Boy," the man Allen called Tyki greeted. He took a puff from his cigarette before grinning. The one called Alma was a foot or so behind Tyki, his eyes all on Kanda. Kanda gripped his sword more tightly, his eyes locked on the young man whose face was slowly evolving into one that looked more and more like an akuma, a bright halo magically appearing over his head.

"Now, now, who is this?" Tyki questioned, staring straight at me. "My, Walker, you never told the family that you had a sister! And one that looks just like you!"

"Back off, Tyki. I won't let you hurt her," Allen growled.

"Hmm? But what happens if hurting her is the only way you will finally give in and join us? You know the Earl is losing his patience, boy. If I have to kill your sister in order for you to come with us, I will," Tyki threatened, smirking as these enormous butterflies with white skulls on them began to slowly protrude from his silky white gloved hands. The one called Alma stepped forward and pointed a finger right at Kanda. Kanda flinched and stared down at Alma.

"It's been so long, Yu," Alma said. "I looked everywhere for you, did you know that? Now here you are, pointing that sword of yours like I'm some monster. That's quite rude, no?"

"Shut up, Alma," Kanda snapped coldly. "Come one step closer and I will cut you down. Moyashi, get out of here. I'll deal with these two."

"I don't think so, Yu!" Alma yelled, suddenly appearing right in front of the swordsman and now in a lock between sword and mutated arm. Alma grinned like a mad man and proclaimed to Kanda, "I will not be left behind again, Yu. We will be together, either in this life, or in death!"

"Shut up!" Kanda yelled, and he broke loose from the lock and swung his sword. Alma laughed and easily dodged the attack, coming behind him next and slamming him to the ground. Kanda jumped back up just in time to avoid Alma slashing his head in half. Tyki laughed in amusement at the battle, as if witnessing some little play fight between two children.

"Stick with me, Alicia!" Allen ordered.

"Boy," Tyki said, suddenly in front of him, "do you really want to do this? Just be a good kid and succumb to your Noah. It's the easiest solution to this annoying problem. Join me willingly, or I will take you back to the Earl unconscious."

"Allen!" I screamed.

"Never!" Allen retorted, and he snapped out his clawed hand out to Tyki. Tyki ducked and flew back to safety, waving his index finger side to side in discontent at my twin. It gave Allen enough time to snatch my arm and pull me into an alley. We left Kanda alone with Alma, the two battling it out to the death.

"I can't go another step, Allen. This is it," I gasped, collapsing against a brick wall. Allen turned himself around and tugged on my arm more urgently, his clawed hand twitching in impatience.

"We have to keep moving, Alicia. Tyki is right on our tail. If we don't move right-"

"I could rip out her heart right now."

"A . . . Allen." I craned my head to the side, seeing Tyki pressed right against me. He was smiling cordially towards me, though his eyes held malice and disgust. His right arm was stretched out. I traced where it led, seeing that it had magically entered my body, and was now wrapped around my frantically beating heart. Allen was frozen in shock, knowing he was unable to do anything. One false move from my brother, and Tyki would only have to squeeze my heart until it burst.

Tyki was a tall man dressed for a ball. He wore a black suit, the finest sewn in all of Paris. His top hat was planted firmly on his head, keeping his wild curls under control, a freshly plucked rose resting against one side of it and securely tucked with a crimson red ribbon. A small mole was the only decoration on his otherwise flawless face. A skull butterfly was resting on his left shoulder, flapping its unsightly wings and cackling insanely.

Tyki stroked my heart then, and it automatically raced faster than ever in fear. I felt sweat drip down to the back of my neck, only making my nerves become even more on edge. Allen looked at me, then at Tyki, giving him a look of desperation that said, _"I'll do anything you want. Just don't hurt her."_

"I'm sorry, Allen," I whispered. "If I only trusted you sooner . . ."

"I am glad that I simply got to see you again, Allie," Allen replied sweetly, choking back tears afterwards. Then, a light struck in his silver eyes. He clenched both of his hands and glared at Tyki with new strength. Tyki raised a brow at this in amusement.

"Tyki, if I am to go with you and become a part of the Noah family," Allen said slowly, "then my sister Alicia must come too. I will not go if she does not come with me."

". . . Fine," Tyki said, surprising the both of us.

"R-Really?" Allen asked.

"Of course. You may see me as nothing but a monster, but I do value family," Tyki replied.

"You _are _a monster!" Allen gritted out.

"Nuh uh, boy. Watch what you say, or your poor sister will die of a _broken heart_," Tyki cut in, gripping his hold on my pulsing heart more tightly. I whimpered and tried not to cry out from his painful grip. Allen did not waver for one moment – he humbly nodded to Tyki in defeat and turned off his magical claw, reverting it back into his original black arm.

"If you even think about doing anything funny-," Tyki warned, gesturing his bright eyes towards me. Allen shook his head and frowned.

"I will not do anything, Tyki. My sister and I will go with you. Now please, please let Alicia go."

Without a word, Tyki slowly let go of my heart and pulled back his hand. He adjusted the glove of said hand before jerking his head to us to start moving. Allen wrapped me protectively in his arms and rested his head against the top of mine. Tyki rolled his eyes at this, afterwards whispering to the skull butterfly a message. The ugly insect cackled in agreement before fluttering off of his shoulder and flying away into the distance.

"That butterfly will reach the Earl and tell him of your submission, Walker. The family will expect us in a few days time. There is no time to say goodbyes. We leave now," Tyki told Allen, completely ignoring me. Allen only scowled at Tyki and hung his head in shame as the two of us followed the tall monster out of the alley and into the open street.

"Everything is going to be okay, sis," Allen assured me. "I promise you, everything's going to turn out all right. So long as we are together, everything will be fine."

"Of course," I said to my brother. "I'll never distrust you again, Allen. I promise you that. If I had not been so - I will always trust you."

"Like the good old days," Allen offered. I actually grinned at that and shook my head at his silly words.

"Yes, the good old days of freezing half to death in the snow, and you hogging all of the food. Such fond memories."

"Keep moving, kids," Tyki snapped, becoming very irritable at how delayed we were in following him. "The family does not like to wait. If it makes you two happy, that swordsman will be joining us."

"Kanda?" Allen exclaimed.

"Broken heart," Tyki muttered under his breath. Allen stopped talking and held onto me more closely. Together we continued to follow Tyki down the suddenly empty streets of Paris. My right eye's pain dulled to a stop, and I could finally think straight.

My family would not miss me. Oh, Papa would be very sad for the first few days, but then he could finally have what he wanted; his full attention towards the care and well being of Mother. Mother would be very happy to have me gone, seeing as I was nothing but a heavy burden to her and horrible reminder of her past. The servants, my noble friends, all would forget about me as soon as the next paycheck or ball invitation came around the corner.

Alma joined us afterwards, carrying the limp body of Kanda Yu on his shoulder. He practically hopped towards Tyki's side, handing him Kanda's sword that was broken clean in half. Allen and I looked at one another, hope dwindling fast between the two of us. If Kanda could be defeated so easily . . .

"My, my," Tyki mused to himself. "This is quite the group we are having. The Earl will be very surprised when he sees this."

"Will those other Exorcists follow us?" Alma asked, reverting back to his human form.

"No," Tyki answered with a smug grin. "I've ordered the akuma to keep them busy until we are so far gone that they will never catch up to us. Of course, I told them not to kill the boy's friends, or you would never come with us at all. Isn't that right, Neah?"

"Neah?" I mouthed to myself. What kind of name was that? And why was this horrible person calling Allen that?

"My name is not Neah," my brother growled. He then exclaimed once more, "_It's Allen_!"


	6. Chapter 6

We boarded on a train the next hour. Tyki warned us one more time that if either of us acted up, he would promptly eliminate me. Allen kept my hand wrapped in his as we submissively boarded into first class and were promptly assigned to our own room. Tyki cheerfully bid us goodbye before leaving to go to his own quarters.

Allen and I stood at opposite ends of the room. Slowly, the train chugged to life. The wheels whirled into action, the foggy steam at the front of the train puffing out bit by bit. Tyki would be in the next room, going to take a rest for the long trip ahead.

"You think he is going to stay in his room?" I asked.

"Yes. He knows I won't leave," Allen said.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Alice. At least we're together again."

"Yeah," I said, lowering my head. "What kind of person is this Tyki anyway? He looks . . . different."

"He's a part of the Noah family," Allen explained. "They are a group of people who want to destroy Innocence, like my arm. See?"

Allen demonstrated by activating his arm. It took on bright light before settling into its other form, a white clawed hand that puffed out at the shoulders. Hesitantly, I reached out and touched it. It was a little rougher that the usual hand, but it felt warm like a regular one. I poked at the tips of my brother's fingers and pulled back when I pricked myself.

"Sorry," Allen apologized.

"It was my fault. Anyway, how long will the trip be? Do you remember what Tyki said?"

"Eh, to the Noahs' home. They probably have a big mansion as their headquarters. You know, you need a little bit of this," Allen said, rubbing two fingers together, "to get all of this." He made a motion of spreading out his arms dramatically, symbolizing the entire world. In spire of our dire situation, I managed to crack a smile and chuckle.

Allen was that kind of person. He brought happiness back into the world. He was by nature cheerful and a good person to be with. Even though the world was down on its knees – even though Allen himself was going down to his own knees – he was still strong enough to bring out a cheeky smile for me.

I didn't deserve such a good brother.

We chattered on about meaningless things afterward. How Allen's appetite actually increased over the years; how I still found shoes for girls to be "hell on heels"; how we both laughed when Allen "heroically" saved me from tripping on my own two feet and landing on my face when we were little.

Little by little, my fears abated. I no longer thought about my near death encounter when Tyki had his hands clasped around my heart. I didn't even think of Tyki Mikk, who was sleeping only a room or so down. If my mind even brushed the name of that Noah, I would begin to shake. I listened to Allen's stories of his Order so raptly, my twin was almost uncomfortable.

"Eh, you already met my friends. Lavi, Timothy, Krory, Lenalee, Kanda . . ."

Allen's voice drifted off. His face took on a solemn air. Here we were, enjoying a first class ride, while his friends were busy fighting for their lives back in Paris. Instantly, I felt guilty. If I had just gone with Allen in the first place, they would not be in the middle of a battle against those monsters called akuma.

"Hmph. Of course, Kanda probably destroyed all of downtown Paris. He tends to leave everything behind in ruins," Allen scoffed.

"You mean, that dark haired boy with the sword?"

"Yep. Between you and me, he is not the brightest tool in the shed."

"Allen," I warned.

"It's true, sis! We took a test back at the Order and Kanda scored the lowest out of all of us. I think the reason why he snaps so easily at me is because he knows I am way smarter than me," Allen defended himself.

"Oh, really?" I drawled out, rolling my eyes. "Then what place did you take in that test, brother?"

Allen's once confident face slipped into one of embarrassment. His cheeks took on a light red tint when he turned his head away and refused to look at me. I leaned forward and patiently waited for Allen to answer. He was going to, whether he wanted to or not.

"Um, second to last place," Allen mumbled.

"Uh huh. I thought so."

**THREE HOURS LATER:**

Kanda felt like all the hairs in his head had been ripped off of his head from one yank. With much effort he lifted the upper half of his body off of the train seat he had been placed on. The dark haired Exorcist heard the sound of scraping, but his mind was still too disoriented to pinpoint it out or even care.

Where was he anyway? He tried to reorganize his throbbing thoughts. He was . . . He was fighting. Kanda remembered fighting in Paris, France. He and the others were killing off the akuma that had come out of nowhere like a hive of frenzied bees. He could distinctly remember seeing Allen and that twin of his heading his way, only to leave afterwards because of Tyki and –

"Alma," Kanda breathed.

"Don't wear it out."

Kanda's head snapped to his left. There, peeling away the red skin of an apple with a knife, was Alma dressed in English gentleman clothes. The top hat had carelessly been thrown to the ground, as well as the expensive looking black jacket. Alma's crisp white shirt was pristine against the darkness of the room.

Kanda stared at Alma as if he was a ghost. He remembered, back in the North American Branch, how he was near death. Allen, the bean sprout, attempted to take them to a safe location through the Ark. However, that blond haired CROW contained him before he could complete the transfer.

Kanda could only watch as Alma was forcibly ripped away from his hands by the Order. Kanda fought and yelled, demanding to be with Alma in his last moments, all to no avail. Later on he would find out that Alma miraculously regenerated and escaped from his holders. Secretly, Kanda was both relieved and horrified at the news. Relieved because Alma was alive. Horrified because – Well, Alma was _alive_.

The Japanese swordsman knew the chaos his friend – and former lover from back when they were in their first bodies – would ensue to the Order. Alma despised the Black Order and would gladly cooperate with the Noahs to make sure he/she got his/her revenge. Now though, Alma was busy slicing the apple into equal pieces, humming a cheerful tune Kanda remembered from when they were children in the labs.

"Like the hair cut?" Alma asked with a smirk. He bit into a piece of apple.

Kanda reached towards his head and realized that his hair, once long and reaching down to his back, was now cut short to the style of when he was a boy in the North American Branch labs. Alma noted that it made his lab partner look two or three years younger. It made Kanda look so innocent.

Kanda narrowed his eyes when Alma stepped closer to him. Tentatively, he offered an apple slice, the perfect symbol for cease fire. Kanda glared at Alma. He was expecting Alma to jump up and finish him off. Instead, Alma reverted to his old self, timidly pressing the apple slice to him.

"You're hungry. You haven't eaten in a long while," Alma said.

"What do you want with me, Alma?" Kanda demanded. He grudgingly touched his new hairstyle and scowled at how silly it looked. Give him a lollipop and he would look like a little kid!

"I came to take you home. With me," was Alma's answer. He chuckled in embarrassment and added, "Actually, I haven't found a place for the both of us. Until we do, you and I will crash with the Noahs and Allen and his twin sister."

"Bean Sprout?"

"Eh, you gave him a nickname?" Alma asked, getting jealous. "You . . . You never gave me a nickname, Yu."

"Where is Allen? Is he hurt?"

"You like him!" Alma exclaimed in hurt. Kanda did a once over. What? Did Alma just say that?

"Of course not, Alma," Kanda snapped. Alma was not convinced. He swallowed an apple slice angrily and bared his teeth like an animal.

"Then why did you give him a nickname? Aren't I more important?" Alma shouted. Kanda's whole body tensed. He was no match for Alma in his state. His memories were quickly returning. The fight between him and Alma was brutal. Alma had become stronger since their last meeting, and he easily defeated Kanda.

In the fight, Kanda had been hit on the head, so the next flashes of memory were difficult to decipher. He remembered scenes of Alma looking down on him, seemingly speaking to Kanda in an animated voice. The next flash involved Kanda's sword being yanked out from his grip, afterwards being picked up by someone with incredible strength (likely Alma). Afterwards, nothing, save for an affectionate pat on the head.

"Because," Kanda replied, "you never gave me a nickname. Moron."

"Huh?" Alma blushed red and lowered his head in shame. "Sorry, Yu."

"Don't call me Yu," Kanda retorted.

"Yu, Yu, Yu!"

"Shut up, Alma!"

"See, we are already going back to the good old days!"

Kanda rolled his eyes and lay back down on the seat he had been resting on. Alma chattered on and on about nothing. Kanda could only close his eyes and hope he would pass out again soon. Secretly, he began to make a plot of escape for him, Allen, and his twin. However, noticing how tightly Alma was holding onto the knife that cut the apples, he was worried he wouldn't even have a chance.


End file.
